Information about Playboating

Playboating is a discipline of kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place (a playspot), as opposed to whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river (although whitewater canoeists will often stop and play en-route). Specialised canoes or kayaks (boats) known as playboats are often used, but any boat can be used for playing.

Playboating is also known as Rodeo, or Freestyle Kayaking.

Playspots

Playspots are typically stationary features on rivers, in particular standing waves (which may be breaking or partially breaking), 'holes' and 'stoppers', where water flows back on itself creating a retentive feature (these are often formed at the bottom of small drops or weirs), or eddy lines (the boundary between slow moving water at the rivers' edge, and faster water). Playboating is sometimes performed on dynamic moving features such as haystacks (large boils) and whirlpools, or on flat water (this is often referred to as flatwheeling). Playspots are found on natural whitewater, on artificial weirs, on artificial whitewater courses, and occasionally on tidal races in the sea.

Moves

Basic moves consist of front- and back-surfing, spins through any of the three axes (Air screws, cartwheels and air loops (invented by Clay Wright), stalls with the kayak vertical on either end, and getting airborne (bouncing the boat on a wave, or submerging part of the kayak so that it pops out when it re-emerges). The playboater usually aims to stay surfing the feature after performing each move (as opposed to being washed off). More complex moves are made up of combinations of these moves.

Original (Old School) Play and Squirt Moves

These moves were more popular before short playboats were invented, but remain the foundation of several current moves.

Ender
An ender is performed by sinking the bow of the boat deep into swift moving water, causing the boat to go vertical.

Popup
A popup is an ender, followed by quickly leaning back to cause the boat to pop up out of the water like a cork.

Pirouette
A pirouette is when the boater turns during an ender, with the boat as the axis.

Squirt
A basic squirt is performed when crossing a strong eddyline. As soon as the body crosses the eddyline, a back sweep is performed while dropping the upstream edge of the stern. The stern of the boat should sink, and the boat will rotate in the direction of the currents.

Surfing

Front Surf
A front surf involves remaining on a feature of the river (such as a wave or a hole) without being washed downstream. From this position, many moves can be initiated.

Back Surf
A back surf is identical to the front surf, but with the boat facing downstream. This is most often accomplished by transitioning through a move such as a spin, cartwheel, or blunt. Back surfing is slightly harder than front surfing.

Side Surf
A side surf is done with the boat oriented perpendicularly to the current. The paddler must lean downstream and raise their upstream edge to maintain this position.

Carving
Carving involves moving back and forth across the face of a feature. This is accomplished by tilting the boat at an angle while using the paddle to press against the water near the downstream end of the boat. Carving may be gentle or aggressive, depending on the intended result.

Spinning

Basic Spin
Involves rotating the boat parallel to the surface of the water while surfing a feature. The rotation must be greater than 180 degrees to count as a spin. Performing a 180 degree spin is similar to beginning an aggressive carve, transitioning through a side surf, and ending in a back surf.

Clean Spins
A clean spin involves using a single stroke to spin through multiple ends.

Flatspins
A flatspin involves lifting the upstream edge of the boat from the water during the spin. This is accomplished by beginning the spin with a slight angle to the water.

Cartwheels

Double Pump
A double pump is the basic move to sink, or initiate, one end of the boat. The boater begins by simultaneously putting the boat on edge, making a quick back stroke, and leaning backwards. Immediately after this stroke, the boater leans forward and pushes down hard on the same paddle blade. The boat should now be perpendicular to the surface of the water, with the bow down in the water and the stern up toward the sky.

Basic Cartwheel
A cartwheel is a move performed while surfing a hole, in which the boat rotates perpendicular to the surface of the water. The paddler's torso functions as the axis. The move is initiated with a double pump, though on more powerful features little initiation will be necessary. Once vertical, the paddler continues the rotation, alternating ends. The paddle is used to press down on the water on the downstream side of the boat, alternating hands as the boat changes direction.

Flatwheel
A flatwheel is a cartwheel performed on flat water. The move is usually initiated with a double pump, but may also be initiated from a stall.

Wavewheel
A wavewheel is a cartwheel initiated at the top of a wave while the paddler is quickly moving downstream.

Clean Cartwheel
A clean cartwheel is performed without using the paddle to press down on the water.

Splitwheel
A splitwheel is done while cartwheeling, and involves using a half pirouette to transition from one edge to another while vertical, usually when the bow is down. For example, if the boater is using the right edge of the bow and left edge of the stern while cartwheeling, they will rotate to the right when the bow is down and begin using the right edge of the stern, followed by the left edge of the bow.

Blunts

Blunt
A blunt is similar to a cartwheel in appearance, but is performed on a wave, and it is uncommon to link more than one end at a time. The boater begins at the top of the wave, moving downward with forward momentum. When the boater nears the trough, they place the boat on edge, lean forward, and press down on the downstream blade. The current will sweep the bow downstream, quickly rotating the boat 180 degrees to land in a back surf. By bouncing the boat, it is possible to go completely airborne.

Backstab
A backstab is identical to a blunt, but is performed backwards. The boater begins from a back surf and initates the stern, ending in a front surf.

Loops

Front Loop
In a loop, the boater does a complete flip, landing in the same direction that the move was initiated. Loops are unlike most other moves in that the bow is initiated flat to the water, with no edge. The move is begun like a popup, with the paddler driving straight and flat into the most powerful part of the current on a feature. The boater leans forward, and the bow is swept down and the stern up. Once vertical, the paddler quickly leans backward to pop up out of the water, then powerfully drives forward to intentionally cause the boat to become over-vertical. If done properly, the stern should catch in the current and the boat will return to its starting position.

Back Loop
A back loop is identical to a front loop, but is performed backwards, both starting and ending in a back surf.

Flat Loop
A flat loop is a loop done on flatwater. To accomplish this, the paddler must paddle forward hard, then abruptly sink the bow to initiate the move.

Space Godzilla
An off axis front loop, tweaked to either side.

Phonix Monkey
The Phonix Monkey is a combination of two moves. Preformed within a hole or "stopper" in which the paddler begins performing a pirouette but instead of dropping into a regular surf upon finishing, the paddler uses the pop coming out of the pirrouette to perform a loop.

McNasty
A combination of a spin and a loop. The paddler begins a flat spin, but once the spin is commenced the bow is driven under water and the stern gradually rises out of the water during the spin. The paddler uses the pop coming out of the spin to complete a loop.

Combo Moves

Bread and Butter
Invented by Patrick Camblin, the Bread & Butter is widely recognized as the first combo move. The paddler completes a Pan Am and uses the bounce created from landing the move to throw a backstab or possibly back Pan Am.

Kay Y
They Kay Y is when a paddler completes a blunt or possibly clean blunt and uses the coinciding bounce coming from the landing to throw a pistol flip.

Flashback
The flashback is completed by beginning to perform a spin and mid way threw driving in one of the outer edges of the kayak into the wave and using the coiniciding pop to complete a backstab.

Other

Stalls
A stall is a flatwater move where the boat is stopped while vertical, and the boater balances, using their body and the paddle for control. A stall may be performed from any move that gets the boat vertical, usually either a flatwheel, a double pump, or by simultaneously leaning forward and paddling forward. A stall may be performed on either the bow or the stern.

Kickflips
A kickflip can best be described as an aerial roll performed off the crest of a wave while moving downstream. It is similar to a wavewheel in that it is performed at the top of a wave while moving downstream, but the techniques are very different. For a kickflip, the paddler does a forward stroke and leans back, so that the boat is beginning to go vertical at the crest of the wave. As they pass the crest, they use the paddle to pull the boat upside down and around, which places the paddle in position for a back deck roll. Once the roll is performed, the boater will end upright, facing downstream, with the opposite blade in the water than the beginning of the move.

Popularity

Playboating has grown massively in popularity in recent years due to innovations in boat design. Modern playboats are made from plastic which is much more robust than glass fibre or wood. Playboats typically have much less volume in the bow and stern than dedicated river running kayaks. This allows the paddler to easily dip either end underwater.

Playboating is mainly done for fun, but competitions are also popular. Paddlers have a set time to perform as many different moves as possible, and score additional points for style.

Visiting a playspot where you do not need to paddle a river to get there (which involves shuttling cars to the bottom of the river) is often referred to as 'Park and Play'. Playboating is often considered less effort and safer than whitewater river running (this is not always the case).

Popular playspots

Popular playspots at weirs include:

• Hurley Weir on the Thames, near London
• Hawaii-sur-Rhone on the Rhône River, in Lyon, France.
• Sluice on River Liffey, Lucan, Ireland

Popular playspots on tidal races include:

• Skookumchuck Narrows in Canada
• The Bitches in Wales
• The Swellies on the Menai Strait
• The Falls of Lora in Scotland
• The Arches, Malahide Estuary in Dublin, Ireland
• Cohasset Tidal Rip in Cohasset, Massachusetts
• Sheepscot Reversing Falls in Newcastle, Maine

Popular big volume rivers often run for their playspots include (these often feature on playboating videos):

• The Slave River in Canada
• The Ottawa River in Canada
• The White Nile in Uganda
• The Zambezi in Zambia.

Popular natural playspots include:

• Lunch Counter on the Snake River in Wyoming.
• Hell Hole on the Ocoee River in Tennessee.
• The Rabioux wave on the Durance in France.
• Rock Island State Park in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee
• School House Rock "KRH" playhole in California.
• Kaituna "bottom Hole" Rotorua, New Zealand.
• Zoar Gap rapid on the Deerfield River near Charlemont, Massachusetts.
• Hawaii Sur Rhone on the Rhone River in France.

Man-enhanced playspots include:

• The Gutter on the Payette River in Horseshoe Bend, Idaho.
• The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
• The Salida playhole in Colorado
• The Golden Kayak Park in Golden, Colorado
• The Lower Saluda River in Columbia, SC. Specifically, Millrace Rapids near the Riverbanks Zoo.
• Rio Vista Park on the San Marcos River in San Marcos, Texas
• Slumber Falls on the Guadalupe River near New Braunfels, Texas

The Tryweryn in Wales, the Dee near Llangollen in Wales, the Washburn in England, and Hambledon Weir on the Thames have been modified (by moving boulders on the river bed, or in the case of Hambledon by installing pneumatic kicker ramps on the river bed) to create better playspots.

Construction has been completed on Brennan's Wave a project in Missoula, MT that is converting a broken diversion dam into a playpark for kayakers.

External links

• Playak Kayak and Canoe News
• GB Freestyle Kayaking Team Website
• Team Pabst Freestyle Kayaking Team Website